[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
[March 12, 2002]
[Pages 382-387]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
Remarks in a Discussion on Community Service in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania
March 12, 2002
The President. Thank you all very much. Well, Chris, thank you very much. And thank you all for coming.
I've been really looking forward to coming back to Philadelphia. After
all, it was here that Benjamin Franklin set the stage for what it means
to be a good volunteer. He started a university and started a library.
He rallied people to help neighbors in need. So this is a good place to
come and conduct a national dialog on the importance of people serving
neighbors in need and the importance of people volunteering in their
community.
And I want to thank Chris so very
much for agreeing to be a moderator, but also thank you for your service
to the Philadelphia community.
Sometimes when the President shows up, we get a pretty august crowd
of elected officials here. I know the mayor is here somewhere. I want to
thank the mayor for coming. Mr. Mayor, thank
you for being here--oh, yes. Senator Specter,
Senator Santorum, Congressmen Borski and Greenwood,
Congressmen Weldon and Hoeffel, thank you all for coming. I know the attorney general of
the State of Pennsylvania is here as well.
Welcome, Mike.
It's good to see members of the mighty Pennsylvania congressional
delegation, a fine lot. [Laughter] I know they understand the proper
role of Government. And that is that Government can't make people love
one another. I wish it could. I promise you, I'd sign the law--
[laughter]--and they would all sponsor it. But we understand that
Pennsylvania, like the other States in our Union, are full of
compassionate people. And the job of Government is to serve as a
catalyst to capture that compassion.
And that's incredibly important as we fight this war on terror. You
know, we've got a great military might in the United States, and I can't
tell you how proud I am of our military. But another strength of the
country is our compassion and our love for each other.
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You know, I want to thank the Big Brothers and Big Sisters who are
represented here. I want to thank the Points of Light Foundation, the
Network for Good. I want to thank Gloria Guard,
who recently--recently, I mean just like a couple of minutes ago--
[laughter]--led me on the tour of her beautiful place, where homeless
women and their children are loved and cared for and given training to
succeed. What a successful program that's been. You know, if we'd have
had hearings on that in Washington about how to make that program
successful, they'd still be meeting--[laughter]--and will be meeting and
would have been meeting for a decade. But there are social entrepreneurs
in our society who help define America. And one of my jobs is to herald
those social entrepreneurs and to thank them on behalf of all Americans.
I believe out of this evil will come incredible good. And one of the
good things that will happen is that Americans will ask the question
about how I can help fight evil by doing something good. That's how I
think we ought to do it. I think we ought to say that if you're
interested in fighting evil, love a neighbor. If you're interested in
doing something for your country, help somebody in need; write a check;
give your time; volunteer.
Societies change one heart, one soul, one conscience at a time, and
Government can hand out money, but it cannot put hope in people's
hearts. And we're here to talk about how to put hope in people's hearts,
because people love one another.
One of the things I've asked the country to do is to think about
4,000 hours of public service, for the rest of your life or 2 years.
That's not hard for some, I understand that. I bet you've already done
that.
Audience member. I think so.
The President. Well, you've got another 4,000 to go. [Laughter]
People that responded--I mean, the response has been fantastic ever
since my State of the Union, when I said, ``Serve the country.'' Let me
just give you an example: 18,000 people have asked how to--if they can
join the Peace Corps. And we're going to talk about the Peace Corps in a
minute. AmeriCorps is up by 50 percent. The Citizen Corps numbers are
up. The Senior Corps number is up by 500 percent. In other words,
Americans have been asked to respond, and they are. And for that, we're
a grateful nation.
Let me just talk about the USA Freedom Corps right quick. It's a
chance for people to participate. It's an opportunity for people to join
the AmeriCorps, which is a way to help strengthen community; Senior
Corps, which is a way to help strengthen community and/or join in the
fight against terror by being a part of a neighborhood watch program,
for example. The Citizens Corps, as well, are to--help reinforce the
first-responders in local communities. And of course, the Peace Corps is
an opportunity to spread American values throughout the world. And if
people are interested in joining the USA Freedom Corps, you can do so by
calling 1-877-USA-Corps--or usafreedomcorps.gov on the Internet.
But serving America doesn't have to go through USA Freedom Corps.
It's just an opportunity. You can serve America all kinds of ways. You
can do so through a faith-based initiative. And one of the things we
must do is get our Faith-Based Initiative passed out of the United
States Senate. It already has passed the House. You can do so through
United Way agencies. And by the way, they're not mutually exclusive.
And if you do, one of the things that I have asked our White House
staff to put together is a booklet that would give you an opportunity to
record your service. And if you're interested in picking up one of
these, just dial up the web site. If you're interested in recording, not
only for yourself but recording for your family or a child, perhaps,
what you've done to make America a better place, this is a good go-by.
This is a good opportunity to bring a little discipline into your
volunteer service.
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When I looked at this, I envisioned kind of an interesting diary
that can be passed from one generation to the next. I can't think of
anything more interesting than a mom or a dad volunteering, recording
his or her thoughts, giving it to a child, who gives it to a grandchild.
So somebody is sitting there reading about what it was like to live in
the 21st century and how to help a neighborhood in need, for example, or
how to help a person in need.
I also want you to know that you can do the same thing through an
online tracking system on the USA Freedom Corps web page.
And as well I'm going to instruct the agencies--Cabinets--in my
Government to figure out ways to reduce barriers for people to be able
to get involved better in their communities. I mean, sometimes we've got
a process-oriented world. We ought to be a results-oriented world. We
ought to care less about rules and regulations and more about how we're
helping people help themselves. And so I'm looking forward to my Cabinet
officers reporting back, and when we find barriers, we'll do everything
we can to prevent them from inhibiting the love that exists in the
neighborhoods around our country.
I believe that in order to live in a free society, you need to give
something back. In order to make a society vibrant, all of us owe
something to America. And one way to provide that is either through the
military or through loving somebody and showing it through actual deeds.
And I know that when you do so, I know that when you help a neighbor in
need, it is a part of a complete life. It's a part of making sure that
your life is not empty. It's a part of making sure that you are able to
really understand the joys of a giving existence.
And so thank you for coming by. Thank you for listening to an
optimistic President. I am so optimistic about our future. Not only do I
believe that we're going to have lasting peace when we achieve our
objectives in the war against terror, but I know that afterwards and
during this period of trauma for many Americans, this country's
strength, its goodness and compassion will serve as a beacon for the
rest of the world to see.
God bless you.
[At this point, the discussion began.]
The President. You know, AmeriCorps has got 50,000 AmeriCorps-ians.
[Laughter] And we hope to have 75,000--at least the budget calls for an
increase of 50 percent in AmeriCorps corps. Thank you for your example.
Jennifer Cardy. Sure. I think that we
need to get the word out to more youth.
The President. You bet.
Ms. Cardy. I think that youth is a real
strength in our community.
The President. Well, one way to do so is for people to see what joy
you get in serving your community and how it's a part of a full life. I
think people are becoming a little less materialistic in America now.
One of the things--the enemies thought we were totally materialistic,
obviously. They made a terrible miscalculation about the will and might
of the United States and our drive. But I think people are beginning to
realize that there's more to life than just materialism. You're a living
example. Thank you.
[The discussion continued.]
The President. Well, thanks, Ira. Let me ask
you, what's the attitude? Give us a read. How is the--at Pennsylvania,
are the kids involved, interested, asking for ways to help, kind of
complacent? Give us a feel.
Ira Harkavy. Not complacent at all. In fact,
young people come to Penn desiring to serve, and when they come to the
university, they want to put their ideals into practice. So I think this
is an extraordinary generation. We have to only give them the
opportunity, and they will seize that opportunity in ways we could only
dream of. So this generation, both pre-college and in
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college, is a generation of extraordinary talent, idealism, and ability.
And they want to serve. And I'm convinced they'll respond to your call.
The President. Thanks, Ira. Thanks. I
appreciate you. Thanks for coming.
[The discussion continued.]
The President. I told Stephanie earlier
that reading is the new civil right. And so far you've heard three
speakers talk about reading. And we've got to get it right. We've got to
get this right. We've got, actually, a pretty good piece of
legislation--a really good piece of legislation, education legislation,
a core component of which is to make sure that children learn how to
read using, as Ira mentioned, a science of reading and what works.
And so thank you very much for focusing on that. You're what I call
a soldier in the armies of compassion. And it's pretty extraordinary
that a social entrepreneur be so young. But I want to thank you for that
very much. I bet one of the things you've learned is that by serving as
an example, you stimulate others to serve as well.
[The discussion continued.]
The President. Thank you, Stephanie.
Good luck--love your spirit. Thank you.
[The discussion continued.]
The President. I appreciate you, Captain.
Thank you very much. I'm glad the captain is here as a citizen soldier,
because it serves as a reminder that we've got people who make the
ultimate sacrifice, people who wear the uniform. We really are fighting
for freedom and fighting for lasting peace. That's the key for,
particularly, young Americans to understand, that this Nation didn't ask
for war but that we'll be strong when it comes to the defense of values
that we hold dear. And one of them is freedom of religion--or freedom to
vote or freedom to express your opinion. We're fighting evil people who
cannot stand freedom.
And sacrifice is beginning to become apparent to many who never
thought they would have to sacrifice. There is a new culture evolving in
the country--to the benefit, I might add, of future generations--and
that is that there's something greater than yourself in life, and it's
worth serving. Part of service is in the military; part of service is on
the streets; part of service is loving people.
And so I want to thank you for coming, Captain, and thank you for your service.
[The discussion continued.]
The President. Well, I appreciate you, Elaine. Elaine's got an extraordinary spirit. She's like the
Energizer Bunny when it comes to helping people--[laughter]--perpetual
motion.
And first of all, let me mention something about the Peace Corps. If
there are any people that are interested in spreading U.S. values around
the world, the Peace Corps is a wonderful place to do so. You may share
that--some of that with us, if you don't mind, just a little bit of your
experience. Somebody may be watching that wonders if the Peace Corps is
worthwhile.
Elaine Lander. The Peace Corps is worth
every minute of it. I first decided I wanted to become a Peace Corps
volunteer in third grade, when the motto was ``Helping People Help
Themselves.'' And when I graduated from college, I was fortunate; I got
accepted to the Peace Corps quickly. And it was the most amazing 2 years
of my life. And I tell people that all the time. You're making a call
for 4,000 hours of volunteer service or 2 years. That's just a fraction
of one's life span, and it's worth every minute.
The President. Our goal is to double the Peace Corps over 5 years.
Our goal is as well to make sure we have the Peace Corps go to nations,
particularly Muslim nations, that don't understand America. They don't
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understand our heart; they don't understand our compassion; they don't
understand that we share the same values. I mean, listen, mom and dad
love children in the Muslim world just like we do in America, and
they've got to understand that, that there are some common beliefs that
we share that will make--and the Peace Corps is a good way to spread
that message.
Ms. Lander. Yes, I think some of us would
like to say, for a lot of people, the world is a terribly big place, but
for those of us that have served in the Peace Corps, it's a large planet
made up of communities.
The President. That's right. The other thing is, is that
Elaine is involved in kind of a first-
responders program here in Philadelphia. We want people to become
involved in the first-responders initiative. We have a Citizen Corps set
up just for that, that really will help communities deal with disaster
if disaster were ever to come. And we're doing everything, by the way,
to prevent disaster from ever happening again. But should they hit us
again, we need to have a response plan. And Elaine is very much involved
in that as part of her duties with the Red Cross.
And I want to thank you for that as well. Thanks. Thanks for your
love and your service.
[The discussion continued.]
The President. Well, I appreciate that. Thanks, Dick. I thank you for your service to the country. It's
never too late, is it?
First of all, you need to know that here in southeast Pennsylvania,
because of the United Way, there's what's called a Volunteer Center.
Chris, I want to thank you for running
that. It's a place to help people find a way to volunteer. If you're
interested, USA Freedom Corps doesn't suit your needs, the United Way
Volunteer Center is also a good opportunity. They help train; they show
you the way; they give you opportunities to--they show you where the
needs are. And I want to thank you for that.
As well, we've got people here from the Corporation for National and
Community Service. Steve Goldsmith, my
friend, who's the former mayor of Indianapolis, is with us, as well as
Les Lenkowsky. Thank you all for coming. I
appreciate you being here.
I hope what America gets to see as a result of this dialog is the
fact that there are people in our country who understand that a culture
of responsibility requires responsible behavior. It requires people not
only to take care of their own by loving your children but also requires
people to love a neighbor like they'd like to be loved themselves.
We have living examples of people on the leading edge of ushering in
a culture of personal responsibility. I want to thank you all for
sharing your message with us. It is--Philadelphia is better off as a
result of your daily concern for your fellow human beings.
America is strong. We won't relent. We won't relent in the face of
evil. And we will win. We will win. We'll win hearts and souls and
minds. This country has got a fabulous future ahead of it, because the
strength of the country is not in the halls of our Government but in the
hearts and souls of our citizens.
Thank you for coming.
Note: The President spoke at 10:14 a.m. in the Perelman Theater at the
Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. In his remarks, he referred to
Christine James-Brown, president and chief executive officer, United Way
of Southeastern Pennsylvania, who moderated the discussion; Mayor John
F. Street of Philadelphia; Mike Fisher, Pennsylvania attorney general;
Gloria Guard, executive director, People's Emergency Center; and Stephen
Goldsmith, member, Board of Directors, and Leslie Lenkowsky, Chief
Executive Officer, Corporation for National and Community Service.
Discussion participants were: Jennifer Cardy, AmeriCorps member;
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Ira Harkavy, associate vice president and director, Center for Community
Partnerships, University of Pennsylvania; high school senior Stephanie
Oliver, who founded a children's literacy project at age 13; Capt. Jeff
Kyburz, USAR; Elaine Lander, nurse, American Red Cross disaster response
team; and Richard Clemons, AmeriCorps*VISTA member.